1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a data storage drive of the type that accepts a removable disk cartridge and more particularly to an eject button for such a drive with a light pipe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Removable disk cartridges for storing digital electronic information typically comprise an outer casing or shell that houses a rotatable recording medium, or disk, upon which electronic information can be stored. The cartridge shell often comprises upper and lower halves that are joined together to house the disk. The disk is mounted on a hub that rotates freely within the cartridge. When the cartridge is inserted into a data storage drive, e.g., disk drive, a spindle motor in the drive engages with the disk hub in order to rotate the disk within the cartridge. The outer shell of the cartridge typically has some form of opening near its forward edge to provide the recording heads of the drive with access to the recording surfaces of the disk. A shutter or door mechanism is provided to cover the opening when the cartridge is not in use to prevent dust or other contaminants from entering the cartridge and settling on the recording surface of the disk.
Data storage drives perform a number of functions incident to the recording and/or retrieval of information from a disk cartridge. Two very critical functions are: to latch or hold the cartridge in place during operation, releasing and ejecting the cartridge only at an appropriate time and only under certain conditions, and locking the read/write heads of the disk drive in place to prevent movement of the heads under inappropriate circumstances.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,891, Thayne et al. shows a disk drive commonly referred to as the ZIP(copyright) Drive supplied by Iomega Corporation. Such a disk drive has an eject button on the front panel of the drive which, when manually depressed, initiates the ejection of the cartridge from the drive. When a cartridge is in the drive, light is supplied by the eject button to indicate to the user that a cartridge is present in the drive. When the eject button is depressed by the user, a switch in the drive is actuated and an electro-mechanical device is energized to eject the cartridge from the drive.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved eject button and coupling member for such a drive.
In accordance with the present invention a coupling member between the eject button and the energizing switch in a disk drive is made of plastic material which transmits light from a light emitting diode to the eject button to indicate the presence of a cartridge in the drive. The coupling member transmits light from a light emitting diode (LED) mounted on a printed circuit assembly inside the disk drive to the front bezel where it is viewable to the user. The triggering switch is also mounted on the printed circuit board to eject the cartridge when the eject button is depressed by the user.
In accordance with the invention the coupling member translates horizontal motion at the eject button/light pipe interface into vertical motion at the switch. The switch is triggered by compression or vertical loading of the switch which greatly reduces the chance of breaking the switch and light emitting diode from the printed circuit board as compared to horizontal loading of components on the printed circuit board.
Further in accordance with the invention the coupling member of this invention is constructed of a clear plastic material such as polycarbonate so that the light is transmitted through the part. This eliminates the need for a separate light pipe to conduct light to the eject button.
Further in accordance with the invention a hook provides a pivot point that constrains the coupling member so that a portion of the coupling member rotate as forces are applied.
Further in accordance with the invention a localized thin section in the coupling member acts as a hinge and a portion of the coupling member deflects to trigger the switch. The coupling member has an increased width at the thin section to increase the cross-sectional area and to enable sufficient light transfer through the coupling member and to increase the rebounding force from the triggering position.
Further in accordance with the invention, a guide feature constrains the motion of the translating portion of the coupling member.
A capture feature allows the coupling member to be pre-loaded and positioned in the free or unused position. This minimizes undesirable play and clearances in the assembly.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following more detailed description and appended claims.